


Living in Fast Forward

by totheendoftheworldortime79



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, F/M, Matchmaker BB-8 (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:40:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27235135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totheendoftheworldortime79/pseuds/totheendoftheworldortime79
Summary: Rey discovers a secret about her new (and very hot) neighbor, Poe Dameron.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Rey
Comments: 16
Kudos: 61





	Living in Fast Forward

**Author's Note:**

> Day 3 of DCW! Canon AU, inspired by MASD, who wanted to see Poe as a podracer. Enjoy!

She was going to do it this time.

Rey paced back and forth in her tiny living space wringing her hands. What did she have to be afraid of? Besides humiliation and rejection? She sighed. She’d been going in circles in her head for weeks, ever since her neighbor down the hall moved in. Nothing exciting ever happened in her building. It was exactly why she’d chosen it; she wanted to stay anonymous. People and aliens mostly kept to themselves; Rey didn’t even know all her neighbors’ names. She had her droid, D-O, for company at home. She saw her friend Finn at work. She didn’t mind being alone the way some people did. She could tinker and work on her little inventions in peace.

She was content until her mysterious crush appeared one day a few weeks ago.

She was minding her own business, carrying a box of parts she’d purloined from the junkpile on level 1482. An orange and white BB unit blocked the doors of the lift before they could close. Before Rey could complain, a _gorgeous_ slightly older man appeared, ducking down to give the droid a fond scratch. “Buddy, that was rude,” he murmured when he spotted Rey with the heavy box. “We could have caught the next one.”

“It’s okay,” she squeaked. Kriff, why did her voice sound so high?

“He gets a little _too_ eager to please,” the dark haired man said. “But I’d be a mess without him.” The man straightened. “Mind some company?”

Rey shook her head. The man and his droid joined her in the lift. She shifted over against the wall to give them space. Rey tried not to stare; she really did. But he looked…familiar for some reason? She couldn’t put her finger on it, something seemed familiar about him. He was slightly taller than her, thick dark curls atop his head, jaw shadowed with stubble, dark brown eyes. He was by far the most handsome man Rey had ever seen in person. He was dressed plainly, in tight fitting cargo pants, loose linen shirt open at the neck and a leather jacket. The shoulder had a patch with a symbol she didn't know. Still, he looked like he belonged on the holonet and not in her building.

“That looks heavy,” the man said, as the lift took off. “Need some help?”

Rey instinctively gripped the box tighter. “I’ve got it. But thank you?” Maker save her, why did she say it like _that?_ In her defense, she didn’t have much experience in situations like this. But she _knew_ she was making a fool of herself.

The man smiled; he had a really nice smile. “Looks like we’re neighbors,” he commented, nodding at the controls. “Eighth floor?”

“Um, yeah. That’s where I live. Eighth floor.” Rey bit her lip; she just wanted the floor to open and swallow her. She’d never felt so dim witted in her _life._

Fortunately, the doors hissed open. “Well, see you around!” The mystery man waved and exited, his droid on his heels. Rey followed, watching him disappear into the only unrented apartment on her floor. Well, it had been unrented until now. The previous tenant moved out a couple of months ago. Rey wondered what took Hux so long to re-rent it. He was usually quick to get new people into the building.

Rey replayed the encounter over and over in her head for weeks. Each time she was wittier, more flirtatious. In short, everything Rey wasn’t normally. She wasn’t _stalking_ her new neighbor, but she kept her eye out for him. He disappeared every couple of weeks, always for three or four days; she had no idea where. He was very attached to his droid; she sometimes heard them talking in the corridors. He didn’t seem to keep regular hours, but every time she saw him, he had a kind word for everyone he met. He just seemed _nice_ and handsome and Rey felt butterflies in her belly every time she saw him. She only ever saw him with his droid; she assumed he was single. She still didn’t know his name. And she was terrified of making an even bigger fool of herself.

Five or six times over the last few weeks she’d tried to find the courage to knock on his door and reintroduce herself. Maybe invite him out for dinner? Force, she had no idea how to do any of this. She’d never really felt like this before. All her knowledge came from watching old cheesy holomovies. She didn’t dare tell Finn about her crush, because he would just make fun of her naivete.

But today would be different. Today she was going to take control and put herself out there.

She knew he was home; she heard him walk by her apartment an hour ago. It was a little late, but that just meant that no one would witness her potential humiliation. Rey knelt by her droid and tweaked his antenna. “Wish me luck, Dio,” she said.

“G-g-g-good luck!” the little droid chirped.

Rey wiped her suddenly damp palms on her pants. “Alright. Let’s get this over with.” She checked her reflection in the mirror just before she left her place. The mystery man lived a few doors down; the building was quiet. Her heart pounded in her chest; the last time she was this nervous was the day she made her escape from Jakku.

When she got to his door, she stood there for a full minute before she pressed the button. She hastily smoothed down her tunic and waited. She tried to smile, but she decided that looked fake. Best to just wait until he opened the door.

She heard the BB unit rolling inside, then a muffled voice.

The hydraulic mechanism on the door hissed, revealing her neighbor. Hair wet and dripping, barechested and wearing nothing but a towel. The towel was slung low on his hips; it barely covered him! Her breathing grew harsh and shallow as her heart rate skyrocketed. _Oh, for Force sake._ Rey’s eyes widened in shock, but the man just smiled. “Hey neighbor.”

Rey was frozen. Her mind couldn’t process all the glistening golden skin before her. This was a mistake. There was no way someone like him would consider someone like her. Nope. No way. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.

Then she did the only thing she could think of. She bolted.

Rey dashed back to her place and threw herself inside the door. What the kriff was she _thinking?_ She leaned back against the door, panting like she’d run for her life. She could never show her face outside this place again. She could never see _him_ again, not without dying of mortification.

She was so screwed.

Poe stood in the open doorway long after his pretty neighbor took off. He hadn’t meant to answer the door in his towel, but he hadn’t been expecting anyone. She surprised him. Of course, she surprised him even more by running away like that. Did he smell? He’d just come from the fresher, so he didn’t see how he could, but some people were sensitive to smells. He might still smell like exhaust. “What do you make of that, buddy?” Poe asked his droid as he shut the door.

BB-8 chirped and spun around as Poe headed back to his bedroom. “I don’t know what she wanted.” The droid bumped against his leg, scolding him in binary. “I’m not a mind reader,” Poe complained. “What do you want me to do?”

BB-8 did the droid equivalent of rolling his eyes at him. Poe rolled his eyes right back at his faithful friend. It was late. He was exhausted. He didn’t have the energy to decipher the whims of pretty young women. He’d never been any good at it anyway, if the scars on his back were any indication. He needed to get some sleep; they had an early day tomorrow. He needed to get his winnings to his guy before he did something foolish like buy a brand new shiny ship.

That would be a surefire way to bring the authorities down on his head.

* * *

BB-8 watched his master flip through the holonovel, his eyes unfocused. The droid wasn’t an expert in human behavior, but he thought his master was lonely. He had ample opportunities for companionship, but he rarely had time. His days were filled with his legitimate job flying charters all over the city, at least until it was time to indulge in the dangerous past time of podracing on remote plants through the Outer Rim. BB-8 didn’t understand his master’s desire for danger; how could he keep him safe if Master Poe insisted on racing against ruthless scoundrels?

No, his master needed something to live for besides speed and danger.

His master liked the female that came by the apartment a few days ago. BB-8 didn’t understand why she’d run off so precipitously. He’d run the scenario through his programming hundreds of times since that night and he couldn’t find an answer. It was perplexing. Perhaps he needed to give his master a nudge in the right direction?

BB-8 did a quick diagnostic on his systems. He knew that the female had a droid as well; judging by the box of parts she carried the day they arrived, she knew a lot about droids. BB-8 found an old motivator that wasn’t running as efficiently as it should. It wasn’t detrimental to his primary functions, but what Master Poe didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Master Poe needed him to perform at peak efficiency in the upcoming race!

The droid rolled over to his master, beeping insistently. “What’s the matter, buddy?” BB-8 trilled and beeped. “The motivator? Well, that’s not good. Let me see if we have any spares.”

Poe kept some droid parts around, just in case. Before he even got to his stash, BB-8 whined. “Are you sure? I thought I picked some up the last time we went to Malastare.” Poe checked the box anyway, but of course, BB-8 was right. “Maybe I can find one after my run tomorrow.” BB-8’s dome shook; he beeped rapidly in binary. “Who? The girl down the hall? How do you know that?” BB-8 proudly informed his master about the female’s droid. Poe sighed. “I guess it can’t hurt to ask. We need you in top shape, buddy.”

Poe pulled on his boots and beckoned his droid. He was a little nervous about just knocking on her door and asking for help; he hadn’t seen her since her aborted visit a few days ago. Was she avoiding him? That didn’t seem likely; he didn’t see her that much _before_ the surprise visit. He was pretty busy; he didn’t really have time to over analyze a fleeting moment. Still, she was pretty, young, hazel eyes, dark hair pulled up in a unique style. In other words, exactly his type.

 _Kriff, you’re just asking her for some droid parts_ , he scolded himself. She might not even be home.

When he got to her door, he pressed the button. The door creaked open after a few seconds, revealing his neighbor. “Oh, hi.” Her cheeks flushed pink; she was clearly embarrassed.

“Hey,” Poe replied. “This is going to sound strange, but do you have a motivator compatible with a BB unit? Beebee-Ate’s is glitchy.”

The woman gave her head a little shake. “Um, yeah. I think so.” She bit her lip, thinking. “Might take me a minute to find it. Do you want to come in?”

“Um, sure.” Poe and BB-8 entered the small apartment. It was a bit of a mess with parts and droids in various states of repair strewn through the space. “Sorry if I’m interrupting.”

“No, you’re fine.”

Poe rubbed the back of his neck. “It occurs to me that we’ve never been formally introduced. I’m Poe, Poe Dameron.”

The woman smiled. “I’m Rey Solana.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Rey. Officially.”

She laughed and blushed. “Yeah, officially.” She twined her fingers nervously. “Uh, let me see if I can find that part.”

“Take your time.”

Rey tried to steady her breathing while she searched through her stashes of parts for the motivator. He was _here_! In her space! She hadn’t seen him since that night she embarrassed herself, but time hadn’t diminished his attractiveness. “Dio, help me look for this,” she called to her droid.

D-O rolled out of his hiding place. His cone whirled around nervously; he still wasn’t crazy about strangers. His previous owner had not been kind to droids; Rey took him in because she knew what that felt like. “It’s okay.” To her surprise, Poe’s droid appeared. Rey knelt between the two droids. “What’s your name, little one?” The droid beeped excitedly. “Beebee-Ate, huh? This is Dio and I’m Rey. Poe says you’ve got a faulty motivator?” BB-8 beeped in the affirmative. “Let’s see what we can do.”

Poe leaned against one of the pillars, observing Rey with the droids. She seemed much more at ease with droids than she was with him. The three of them moved through the space, searching storage cubes and shelves, seeking the motivator. Rey had been working on something when he arrived, because her tunic and leggings were stained with grease. Was she a mechanic? Maybe she just liked tinkering? The more he saw of her, the more curious he became.

“Found it!” Rey cried happily. She brandished the motivator, belatedly realizing Poe was still there. “I can, uh, install it, if you want.”

“I can do it, but it looks like you’ve got a lot of experience with droids?”

Rey flushed. “A little. I’ve always liked figuring out how things fit together.”

“I’m sure Beebee would prefer a lady’s touch, wouldn’t you, buddy?” Poe replied with a grin. He was not surprised when his droid agreed enthusiastically. “Traitor.”

“This shouldn’t take long.”

“I’m in no hurry. This is the most interesting thing I’m doing tonight.”

Rey settled cross legged on the floor with her toolbox beside her. “You don’t have to stand there. Sit wherever you like. Sorry about the mess.”

“It’s fine. A lot more interesting than my place.” He sat on the floor across from her, watching as BB-8 opened his access panel for her. “I haven’t had much time to decorate,” he continued, just to fill the silence.

“I haven’t seen you around a lot,” Rey observed. “Not that I’ve been paying that much attention!” Her eyes flew wide, clearly afraid she’d given herself away. Poe grinned; did she have a crush on him? That would explain a _lot._

“No, you’re right. Nice to see that someone noticed. I’m used to flying under the radar.”

Rey barked a laugh. “I find that hard to believe.”

“Why’s that?”

She flushed a deep red. “Forget I said anything.”

Poe tilted his head. “Well, now I’m curious. You really gonna leave me in suspense?”

Rey bit her lip; it was cute. “Honestly? I think I’d rather be eaten by a sarlacc.”

Poe wrinkled his nose. “Nasty things.”

“You’ve heard of a sarlacc?”

“Yeah, they’re on Tatooine. I’ve been there a few times.” More than a few times, but he didn’t tell many people about his side job.

“I grew up on Jakku, but…”

“I’m sorry.”

Rey shrugged. “Anyway, we didn’t have anything like the sarlacc, but we sometimes had visitors from other systems. I grew up listening to their stories.”

“Is that where you learned that?” Poe asked, gesturing to her work on his droid. Poe didn’t trust BB-8 to just anyone, but she’d worked all through their talk. Her movements were quick but sure; she clearly had more experience than she let on.

“Um, yeah.”

Poe liked to talk; he wanted to put her at ease. He wanted to get to know her a little bit. She seemed fascinating. She was clearly smart; she knew a _lot_ about droids, but there were no books, no manuals that he could see. She was good with her hands; changing out the motivator was a delicate business. So, he just kept talking. He asked questions; she gave short answers. She asked for tools occasionally, he handed them to her. She had this air of mystery about her that he found intriguing. Yet, she was kind and compassionate. She told him about how she found her droid and decided to take him in. That finally got her to open up a little bit; Poe found himself smiling as she told a few stories from her days on Jakku.

“I spend a lot of time in the Outer Rim,” Poe said. “But that is one place I’ve never been.”

“One of the last battles of the war took place there.”

“I know.” He paused. “Everyone knows that,” he added hastily.

“So where _have_ you visited?”

Poe shrugged. “All over, really. I like seeing new places.”

“So do I.” Not that she had the means to go anywhere. She’d barely made it to the capital from Jakku.

“Then you definitely moved to the wrong city planet,” Poe joked. “Nothing new on Coruscant.”

“Not always. You’re new.”

“I am.” He considered her a moment; he had a good feeling about her. “Have you ever seen a podrace?”

Her eyes widened. “Aren’t those dangerous? And illegal?”

“True on both counts, but it’s also quite a rush.”

Rey put down her tools. “You’re a _podracer?”_ That certainly explained where he disappeared to all the time! But Rey had never heard of a human podracing before. It was extremely dangerous and took very fast reflexes.

“Shhh. Not so loud.”

Rey winced. “Sorry, I’ve just never heard of a human podracing.”

“That’s because I’m one of the very few who can.” He wasn’t boasting. It was a simple fact. Rey wasn’t exaggerating the danger. It _was_ dangerous. That was why he loved it. “I can fly anything.”

Rey studied him. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“You think I’d make that up?”

“You do have to admit it sounds a little farfetched.”

“Ask Beebee-Ate. He’ll vouch for me.”

Rey closed the housing on the tray and pushed it back inside the ball. The access panel closed as the little droid came to life. “Beebee-Ate, is your master a podracer?”

BB-8 trilled and whirled his dome around. His photoreceptor started a recording he took of Poe’s last race. Poe studied Rey’s face as she watched the holo. “See? I told you.”

Rey’s jaw dropped. The holo was too far away to see Poe clearly in his ship, but she heard his name read by the announcer. _That_ was why he seemed so familiar to her! “Wow.”

Poe could tell she was intrigued. That gave him an idea. “This might sound crazy, but would you like to see a race in person?”

“That does sound crazy.” Rey leaned back on her haunches. “You really do this? All the time?”

“I win too.”

“Why?”

Poe shrugged. “It’s fast. It’s dangerous. My father says I’m reckless.”

“Are you?”

“I let my droid convince me to come over here and ask you for a part he doesn’t really need.” BB-8 beeped indignantly. Poe figured it out not long after she started her work, but he was enjoying himself so much that he let it go. “Yeah, I’m on to you, buddy. But I think it’ll be okay.”

Rey frowned. “Wait, what just happened here?”

“I think I’m asking you out?”

“But the droid…”

“That motivator would have been good for at least a hundred more cycles. The little traitor lied to me. But since I got to spend some time with you, I’m going to call it a win.”

Rey flushed. She still had trouble believing that Poe was really asking her out. “Ask me again?”

Poe smiled. “Rey, would you like to come with me to my next race?”

It _was_ reckless, but he made her want to be a little reckless. “I would love to.”

* * *

A few days later, Rey found herself standing beside Poe’s pod as he and BB-8 made the final adjustments. “Snap said he fixed the wiring,” Poe said absently to his droid. “But check it, just in case.”

“Who’s Snap?”

“One of my very few friends,” Poe replied. “He’s trustworthy, don’t worry.”

“Poe…”

“I’ve done a lot of these, Rey. I know what I’m doing.”

Rey bit her lip. They’d spent more time together since the night he brought BB-8 over to be fixed. Once she got past the shock of actually having him around, she realized that her crush on him only deepened. He was genuinely kind, but he had a mischievous streak that she liked. He didn’t take himself _too_ seriously. She learned he was estranged from his father and his mother passed when he was a child. Rey felt he was a kindred spirit; she’d lost her parents at a young age too.

Now, he was about to put himself into this tiny pod and race against a bunch of unsavory types, purely for the fun of it. She read everything she could find on podracing; deaths were common. She wanted to understand why he’d do something so dangerous. She’d spent her whole life just trying to survive; it didn’t make sense that he would willingly put his life in danger on a regular basis.

Poe didn’t like the frown line on her forehead. She seemed genuinely worried about him. He wasn’t used to anyone but his father worrying about him. He stopped what he was doing and ducked under one of the cables that linked the engine to the repulsor craft. “I wanna show you something. Come on.” He took her hand and led her to the pilot’s seat. “Go on. Climb in.”

“Poe, I couldn’t…”

“You won’t break it, I promise.”

Rey looked from Poe to the pod and back again. Poe’s face carried a quiet confidence that she hadn’t seen before. “Okay.” Poe helped her up, his arm sliding gently around her waist until she could sit.

“So, this one controls the throttle,” he began. He went over all the switches and buttons, including some of his own special modifications to deter some of his competitors. She brushed her fingers over each one, almost like she was trying to memorize it. On the trip over here, she confided that she’d learned to fly on a simulator back on Jakku, but she’d never actually flown herself. Poe resolved to change that on their way back home. He thought he’d like teaching _her_ to fly.

“Do people cheat a lot?” Rey asked, jerking him back into the moment.

Poe nodded. “All the time. But since we all know, we’re all prepared. And I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve.”

His cocky grin took her breath away. She really hoped nothing happened to him. “Poe…”

He touched her cheek. “There is one thing missing though.”

“What’s that?”

He stared into her sparkling hazel eyes. “A kiss for luck?”

Rey flushed. She’d imagined kissing him a lot over the last few months; she never expected to have the opportunity. Poe held out his hand; Rey took it, so he could help her out of the pod. Once she was upright again, he was _very_ close and still holding her hand. Her eyes flickered down to his lips then back up his eyes. She reached up with her free hand and brushed an errant curl off his forehead. Her fingertips trailed down the side of his head and cupped his jaw. A smile tugged at her lips as she leaned in and gently touched her lips to his. They were softer than she imagined, warm and gentle. After a few blissful seconds, she started to pull back, but Poe had other ideas. His kiss was firmer, more insistent as his arms slid around her waist. Rey was caught off guard for a moment, but she surrendered to his warmth. She leaned up on her toes, kissing him back as her arms twined around his neck. One kiss became two, then three. His tongue brushed against her bottom lip; Rey gasped, allowing him to slide his into her mouth. A moan caught in her throat; it felt like her whole body was on fire.

Poe knew they should stop, but he was enjoying this far too much. Her innocent sweetness was intoxicating; she felt perfect in his arms. Eventually, they both had to breathe, so he pulled away reluctantly. “Where did you come from?”

“I just live down the hall,” she replied honestly.

“Well, I certainly feel luckier,” he replied, grinning.

Rey flushed. “Be careful?”

He pressed another kiss to her lips. “Careful doesn’t win races, sweetheart. But I think I can do both.” He couldn’t wait to find her at the finish line. A horn sounded. “It’s almost time. You should go.”

Rey kissed him again, just in case. “I’ll see you after.”

Poe let her go; a yearning he hadn’t felt in years swelled in his chest. “Beebee, watch over her, okay, buddy?” His faithful droid chirped affirmatively.

“I can take care of myself,” Rey said.

“I’m sure you can. But Beebee knows where the best viewing spots are.”

Rey turned to the droid. “Well, come on then.” She looked at Poe one last time; he gave her his best confident grin. He waited until she was out of shouting distance before making the final checks on his ship. He pulled on his helmet and climbed into the cockpit. He had a race to win.

Rey followed BB-8 through the crowd of tightly packed humans and aliens. She saw many making bets and swapping stories; some called out to her as she passed. She ignored them all; she was too nervous to focus on anything but BB-8. Her lips still tingled from Poe’s kiss. She’d only been kissed once before, a long time ago. And it hadn’t felt like _that._ She really wanted to do it again. But first, Poe needed to survive this race.

BB-8 whistled and beeped; Rey stepped out onto the small balcony. There were a few others there, but not many. She and BB-8 stood near the end while Rey scanned the ground for Poe. She spotted his pod; he was already in the cockpit. A huge holoprojection was set up across the way so they could watch the rest of the race once it started. Rey’s fingers curled around the railing; she’d never really believed in any higher powers, but she prayed anyway, just in case.

The announcer came over the speakers; cheers broke out. Rey didn’t absorb most of what was said; she did smile when Poe’s name was announced. BB-8 got out an orange and black flag with the symbol on Poe’s jacket and waved it. “Can I have one of those?”

She couldn’t hear the droid’s response, but he held the flag up to her. She took it and started waving it, joining the rest in cheering. The announcer made the call to start engines. A dozen pods fired up, energy beams crackling. She could feel the excitement in the air; it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Rey shivered. She joined in the countdown, waving her little flag. A huge roar went through the crowd as they reached zero; the arena was electric. Each of the pods went off like a shot, exiting the arena in less than two seconds. One moment she could see Poe’s pod in the crowd and the next he was gone.

The crowd quieted to a low hum as the race continued. There was nothing to see in the arena, but Rey didn’t take her eyes off the screen. The pods were moving almost too fast for the pictures to come in; it was the wildest thing she’d ever seen. Pods crashed and bumped into each other; some fired off defensive mechanisms like spikes. She was confused for the first couple of laps, because Poe seemed to be hanging in the back of the pack. After all his boasting, she thought he’d fight his way to the front. But as more and more pods were wrecked, she understood his wise strategy. If the others destroyed each other, then he would have a clear way to the front.

The Boonta Eve Classic was 10 laps around the harsh Tatooine desert and canyons. After 8 laps, the initial 20 pods were down to 5. Poe was still there, still alive, and gaining ground. She yelled loudly as he passed on the next to last lap; Poe was in third! It was easier to follow with fewer pods for the holorecorders to chase. Poe pulled up alongside the second place pod; they rocked back and forth, both pilots trying to wreck the other. Rey’s hands tightened on the railing; she held her breath. The canyon wall was rapidly approaching; she was sure they were both going to crash. Poe made a sharp turn to the left at the last second; the trailing end of his right engine clipped the canyon wall. His competitor wasn’t so lucky.

Rey exhaled in relief, but her anxiety didn’t abate. Poe still had one pod left to catch. He’d blown his defensive measures two laps ago; he’d have to rely on pure speed. BB-8 bumped her leg urgently. Rey knelt to hear him better. “What, Beebee-Ate?” The droid beeped and whistled rapidly in binary, almost too fast for even Rey to catch. Her eyes widened. “He did _what?”_ She jumped up, eyes searching frantically for Poe. The black and orange pod came into view on the holo; he was rounding the last turn, a podlength behind the leader. She remembered him showing her the switch that was the “trick up his sleeve.” He didn’t elaborate; now she knew why. He needed to wait until the last moment or the engines would overheat and explode. She watched in stunned surprise as the engines opened to their fullest extent; the fiery exhaust going from orange to blue. The pod shot forward like it was fired out of a blaster, flying right over the leader.

The crowd _roared_ as he crossed the finish line, flags waving madly. Rey saw none of that; she was focused on the pod. The engine walls glowed bright red; she was sure they would explode. But Poe shut them down abruptly, causing the pod to drop to the sand and skid. He had just enough control not to crash into the stands, but it was close. Extinguishers put out of the overtaxed engines as Poe climbed out to even more cheers.

Rey didn’t stay to watch him soak in the roars of the crowd; she told BB-8 to lead her back down to the track.

Poe tossed his helmet into the cockpit and pumped his fists into the air. The crowd roared again; he couldn’t stop grinning. There was nothing as amazing as winning a podrace. Nothing. He soaked in the adulation of the crowd as the racers that survived limped back to the arena. His prize was waiting for him in the main box, but that wasn’t why he did this. The credits were nice, but he did this to hear a crowd chant his name. He looked around for Rey; he couldn’t wait to celebrate with her.

One of the lift doors opened; BB-8 rolled out of it, with Rey on his heels. The moment she saw him, she crossed the track at a sprint, leaving his droid in the dust. Poe laughed as she jumped into his arms, hugging him tight. “Hello to you too,” he whispered in her ear. There was a lot of noise; the crowd was still yelling and cheering.

“You. Are. Crazy!” she screeched, smacking his shoulder. “You scared me half to death!”

Poe set her on her feet. She sounded upset, but she was also smiling. “I told you I had a few tricks.”

She swatted his shoulder again. “You…you…” She didn’t have words for all the emotions she was feeling. She did the only thing that made sense. She kissed him.

Poe wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, laughing as she pressed more kisses to his lips. This was definitely the best celebration he’d ever had. He held her by the waist and tipped her back, deepening the kiss. She was shaking in his arms; she really had been terrified for him. Poe kissed her forehead, then her cheek, then her lips. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m right here.”

“You’re still crazy,” she complained.

“Maybe. But maybe I have a reason to be a little less crazy?”

She laughed. “We’ll see.” She smiled and pulled him down for another kiss. “So, what _does_ the winner get?”

“Doesn’t matter. I already have something better than credits.” He captured her lips in another kiss, truly happy for the first time in years.


End file.
